New strategy will streamline DoD support for defense contractors’ cybersecurity

New strategy will streamline DoD support for defense contractors’ cybersecurity
New strategy will streamline DoD support for defense contractors’ cybersecurity

“We were very disjointed” in efforts to support contractors, admitted Pentagon CISO Dave McKeown. “We want to make that more streamlined.”

‘I’m disappointed’: Pentagon CIO cybersecurity chief asks industry, where’s my AI?

‘I’m disappointed’: Pentagon CIO cybersecurity chief asks industry, where’s my AI?
‘I’m disappointed’: Pentagon CIO cybersecurity chief asks industry, where’s my AI?

“I love AI. I want lots of AI,” Dave McKeown told Breaking Defense. But, so far, neither government nor industry has developed artificial intelligence that can really help with cybersecurity.

JWCC 1 year in: Military branches test the waters as DoD envisions cloud service 2.0

JWCC 1 year in: Military branches test the waters as DoD envisions cloud service 2.0
JWCC 1 year in: Military branches test the waters as DoD envisions cloud service 2.0

The service branches aren’t mandated to use the up-to $9 billion services, but the Army and Navy are getting into the game with some secret-level and wargaming-related programs, according to service documents provided to Breaking Defense.

Getting to zero trust: The Pentagon’s effort to put data security first in 2023

Getting to zero trust: The Pentagon’s effort to put data security first in 2023
Getting to zero trust: The Pentagon’s effort to put data security first in 2023

Defense Department Chief Information Officer John Sherman set the tone early in the year by telling Breaking Defense a major focus over 2023 would be aiming for baseline, targeted zero trust within four years.

One year in, Pentagon looks ahead to Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability ‘2.0’

One year in, Pentagon looks ahead to Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability ‘2.0’
One year in, Pentagon looks ahead to Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability ‘2.0’

Sherman said that there is no timeframe for when the department will release a request for information for JWCC 2.0 or when the effort will roll out next year, but added that DoD was “firmly committed to multi-cloud, multi-vendor, and this is what we’re going to be doing going forward.”

New Pentagon cyber strategy: Building new capabilities, expanding allied info-sharing

New Pentagon cyber strategy: Building new capabilities, expanding allied info-sharing
New Pentagon cyber strategy: Building new capabilities, expanding allied info-sharing

DoD “will prioritize technologies that can confound malicious cyber actors and prevent them from achieving their objectives in and through cyberspace,” according to an unclassified summary.

Military services’ zero trust plans to go under the Pentagon’s microscope

Military services’ zero trust plans to go under the Pentagon’s microscope
Military services’ zero trust plans to go under the Pentagon’s microscope

The strategy for each service and other defense organizations is meant to align with the Pentagon’s aim of getting to “targeted” zero trust by 2027.

How DoD is thinking ‘outside the box’ to solve its cyber workforce challenges

How DoD is thinking ‘outside the box’ to solve its cyber workforce challenges
How DoD is thinking ‘outside the box’ to solve its cyber workforce challenges

“Anybody who leads knows that the hardest thing to do is change culture,” Mark Gorak told Breaking Defense. “And I think we have to do that in order to retain the force we have.”

Pentagon memo aims to leverage $9B JWCC ‘to greatest extent possible’: Official

Pentagon memo aims to leverage $9B JWCC ‘to greatest extent possible’: Official
Pentagon memo aims to leverage $9B JWCC ‘to greatest extent possible’: Official

A recently released memo encourages for all OSD components and “defense agencies and field activities” to use JWCC “for all available offerings to procure future enterprise cloud computing capabilities and services.”

Pentagon review finds no ‘single point of failure’ in Discord leaks, proposes new office to monitor users

Pentagon review finds no ‘single point of failure’ in Discord leaks, proposes new office to monitor users
Pentagon review finds no ‘single point of failure’ in Discord leaks, proposes new office to monitor users

The review was launched in April after a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard was hit with two federal charges alleging that he shared classified information about the Russia-Ukraine war on the social media platform Discord.

DoD official envisions faster ‘secure pipeline’ to help small business tech contractors protect information

DoD official envisions faster ‘secure pipeline’ to help small business tech contractors protect information
DoD official envisions faster ‘secure pipeline’ to help small business tech contractors protect information

“In my mind, these are some of these avenues that we’re looking at at an idea phase now to see if we can put resources behind it,” said Robert Vietmeyer, director for cloud and software modernization.

DoD sends new cyber strategy, informed by Russian invasion, to Congress

DoD sends new cyber strategy, informed by Russian invasion, to Congress
DoD sends new cyber strategy, informed by Russian invasion, to Congress

Many of the themes presented in the strategy are familiar to what officials have talked about in the past when it comes to the department’s cyberspace operations, but full details are classified.

DoD CIO taking over as 5G lead, expanding pilot programs

DoD CIO taking over as 5G lead, expanding pilot programs
DoD CIO taking over as 5G lead, expanding pilot programs

As part of the takeover, Sherman said his office will look at expanding the Pentagon’s 5G pilots to additional DoD installations and added he’ll be looking specifically at open radio access network, or O-RAN, pilots. 

Air Force CIO wants service’s Platform One to move under JWCC

Air Force CIO wants service’s Platform One to move under JWCC
Air Force CIO wants service’s Platform One to move under JWCC

The Air Force is considering the move as officials say dozens of task orders, secret and otherwise, are already in the JWCC pipeline.